In the U.K., two members of the direct action climate group Just Stop Oil were arrested after they spray-painted the words “1.5 is dead” on the grave of Charles Darwin at London’s Westminster Abbey Monday. The protest follows the news last week that 2024 was the hottest year in human history, with the average global temperature rising by 1.6 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. This is one of the activists.
Alyson Lee: “2024 was the hottest year on record. We have already passed through the 1.5 degree that was supposed to keep us safe. Millions are being displaced. California is on fire. And three-quarters of all wildlife has disappeared since the 1970s.”
The activist later said she believed Charles Darwin would approve of their protest “because he would be following the science, and he would be as upset as us with the government for ignoring the science.”
What should they do?
Protest in the designated area so that we ignore them more easily? But not somewhere where it blocks cars? Maybe stop chanting to keep the noise down?
The normal protests don’t seem to work.
They could attack the actual guilty parties. I remember a group recently getting on a roof of a manufacturing building, for a company who sold weapons to Israel, and sprayed stuff inside to contaminate their cleanrooms and production areas. That’s pretty rad.
Edit: I had trouble finding an article with video of the roof breach, but I did find a longer video than what was previously posted, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqjdfT5IaOE
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How about actually protesting something that’s related to their cause? Blocking a highway is absolutely one of those. Or, if you want to throw paint at something, how about throwing it at an office of an oil company or a car/private jet of a CEO and not on a fucking grave?
I never said they should not protest at all or not inconvenience anyone, but vandalism of random property or cultural heritage? No, I will not support that.
They have and people whined about it. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-private-jet-climate-activists-orange-paint-british-airfield/
Sure, I expect a non-zero number of people whined about it. However, that article doesn’t mention any. Good on those protesters.